How can I output a helper from erb.js in rails 3?

Question

This is what I have in my erb.js file....but it doesn't work:

  1 //Update with a message
  2 $('#follow-update').html("<%= follow_button(@question) %>")

follow_button is a helper:

20   def follow_button(resource)
 21     
 22     type = resource.class.name
 23     follow_status = current_user.following?(resource)
 24 
 25     verb = "Follow" if follow_status == false
 26     verb = "Unfollow" if follow_status == true
 27 
 28     content_tag(:div, :class => "follow-button") do
 29       link_to "#{verb} this #{type} ", follow_path(:followed_type => type,
 30                                                   :followed_id => resource.id,
 31                                                   :follow_verb => verb), 
 32                                                   :class => "button",
 33                                                   :remote => true
 34     end
 35   end
 36 end

The helper stand-alone works fine, but I want it to update my button. Perhaps there's a way to just update the text without replacing the whole helper?

Answer 1

Create a partial that holds your contains only your helper.

For example: '/wherever/_follow_button.html.erb'

Inside, call your helper:

<%= follow_button(question) %>

Next, render it using JS.

$('#some-id').html("<%= escape_javascript(render('/wherever/follow_button', :question => @question)) %>");

There are ways to make this more efficient but hopefully this helps for now.

Answer 2

You can't call a helper method from a js.erb file unless you explicitly include it as described in Using a Rails helper method within a javascript asset . For example:

<% environment.context_class.instance_eval { include ApplicationHelper } %>

And you should be careful about escaping your HTML too.

Answer 3

You will need escape_javascript

$('#follow-update').html("<%= raw( escape_javascript( follow_button(@question ))) %>");

If this doesn't work, please see show the returned ajax text and the button html

Answer 4

Sorry, I cannot test right now, but have you paid attention to html safe or javascript escapes?

eg try to enclose your follow_button(@question) in raw() or escape_javascript() ?